If you swing an iron 75-80mph, which long clubs are you using to hold greens?

[KnoxvilleReb]

So, some quick backstory/context here: I play to anywhere between a 6-10 handicap and swing a 7 iron anywhere from 76-83mph depending on the day. I play PXG Gen 3 P irons, which while they aren't blades, generally do pretty well in spin comparisons to other "players distance" clubs and aren't all THAT loft jacked (31 degree 7 iron). I play True Temper Elevate 95 stiff steel shafts, which market themselves as high launch and high spin. I hit down on the ball at roughly a 3-4 degree AoA and generally produce a launch angle with what you'd expect from that combination of clubhead speed and AoA. I say all this only to imply that while i'm far from a tour pro, I can't be the only person that fits into this demographic and has this problem. My problem is... I can't get my 5 iron to fly high enough or spin enough to hold a green. Let alone a 3H or 4H. If we're calling a spade a spade, my 6 iron is liable to roll off the back of the green too.

 

I'd love to hear from other golfers that fit into this category about what they are doing in that portion of their bag to help hold greens. Right now my thought is to try to find a really high-launching game improvement 5 iron and swap the hybrids for a high launching 7 wood (the new Taylormade Stealth 2 HD seems really promising and i've heard great things about the TSR2). Has anyone found a magic combo?

[gator022]

Have you tried a softer flex shaft in those longer clubs?  I see you say stiff flex in the irons.  Perhaps a regular flex in the 5 & 6 irons along with hybrids/woods might get you what you're looking for.  I've seen many folks post that this can work.  If the math correlations I see online are correct, your driver swing speed is right around 90-95 MPH.  Some of the guys on WRX Club Techs can probably guide you on this as well: https://forums.golfwrx.com/forum/18-wrx-club-techs/.

[Jmccas]

I top out at 80mph with a 7 iron. The two biggest changes I’ve made is adding a 5 hybrid (G425) and a nine wood (TM Sim2 Max). The 5 hybrid nets a bit more yardage than my 5 iron and gets me more launch and spin. The 9W is my favorite club in my bag. Replaces a 4 iron and launches the ball high with a soft landing. Really great for those long par 3s and second shots on par 5s when my 5 wood is acting grumpy. 

[black bnr32]

Higher spin ball?

[596]

Best thing I ever did was change everything from 4 iron (22*) to 7 iron (31*) to hybrids.  They bring rain and don't move a few feet after hitting a green. I also have no problems holding a green with my Ping K15 3 and 5 woods. 3 can get sketchy at times, staying on, so it'll be in the back. My K15 5w has a Tensei red in regular flex. Extremely easy to launch quite high. 

 

8 to SW I play either PXG 0211 or Cobra T Rails hybrid irons. 

 

8 handicap at 67 years old

Edited January 14, 2023 by 596

[rd1959]

My iron swing speed is between 73-78 and I'm seriously considering replacing the 4,5, and 6 irons with hybrids. I can still get some loft, not what they should be with the long irons but, as time goes by, I'm seeing those loft numbers decreasing.

[SouthHope]

Club down and just play the release?

[golfgirlrobin]

I’m a good player with a tragically low swing speed. I spent last year getting rid of everything in my bag that wasn’t extremely consistent and didn’t improve my game.

 

My irons now only go down to a 7-iron. A 30* hybrid takes the place of my 5-6 irons and next up is an 11-wood. Both are incredibly easy to hit high and they hold the green better than my 4-5-6 irons ever did.

 

I can’t tell you how many guys ask me about my 11-wood because I hit it so well, but they would rather top a 4-iron than put one in the bag. Try the higher lofted fairways and hybrids and don’t let ego keep you from better scores and more fun.

[scooterhd2]

Look at some of the LPGA WITB's. You'll see even some strong players like Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson having 5 hybrids in the bag. And consider a spinier ball if you are not already. That can make loads of difference. 

[Soccerrick10]

I’m now playing 9w, 5h, 6h, 7h, 8i-Gw.  It solved all my distance, height and spin concerns.  It also lets me use more “players” irons with better feel, height and spin in the scoring irons, which I like.
 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Soccerrick10

[b.mattay]

I would be playing 4,5,6 hybrids for sure. 

[ChaosTheory]

I’ve been merciless about this.  If an approach club can’t hold a green, it’s not really an approach club.

 

 If you really want drop and stop, a 9 wood is ridiculously good.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Snowman9000

[Roejye]

I have Nippon Zelos 7 shafts and my irons start at 6 iron. I have had some shots where I've actually put too much spin on the ball, although it's pretty rare. 

[Tinkerer]

Great question. Ive added a 4 and a 5 hybrid recently with my first iron a 6i. It’s summer Down Under, holding a green is harder but with a high ball flight the hybrids are great. Have you tried a spinnier ball? 

[sociojeje]

83mph 7 irons isn't slow at all I think (Perhaps faster than many lpga pros). I think a teaching pro can fix your issue without much difficulty...

[timbodtc]

I'm in the same ballpark but I only play a half set. Tried hybrids and a 7 wood for the gap at the top of my bag to no avail. The one that has stuck is a Srixon ZU85 22* with a soft stepped Steelfiber i95 stiff. Thing is a rocket. Launches high and lands soft but still workable for different shots. I can get about 195 out of it on a smooth full swing. Even picked up a ZU85 18* for certain courses on tee shots. These things are stupid easy to hit.

Edited January 14, 2023 by timbodtc

[TheOverratedPhotog]

20 hours ago, KnoxvilleReb said:

So, some quick backstory/context here: I play to anywhere between a 6-10 handicap and swing a 7 iron anywhere from 76-83mph depending on the day. I play PXG Gen 3 P irons, which while they aren't blades, generally do pretty well in spin comparisons to other "players distance" clubs and aren't all THAT loft jacked (31 degree 7 iron). I play True Temper Elevate 95 stiff steel shafts, which market themselves as high launch and high spin. I hit down on the ball at roughly a 3-4 degree AoA and generally produce a launch angle with what you'd expect from that combination of clubhead speed and AoA. I say all this only to imply that while i'm far from a tour pro, I can't be the only person that fits into this demographic and has this problem. My problem is... I can't get my 5 iron to fly high enough or spin enough to hold a green. Let alone a 3H or 4H. If we're calling a spade a spade, my 6 iron is liable to roll off the back of the green too.

 

I'd love to hear from other golfers that fit into this category about what they are doing in that portion of their bag to help hold greens. Right now my thought is to try to find a really high-launching game improvement 5 iron and swap the hybrids for a high launching 7 wood (the new Taylormade Stealth 2 HD seems really promising and i've heard great things about the TSR2). Has anyone found a magic combo?

My club head speed is a little higher, but only marginally so at 75MPH on a 7 iron. I can stop everything up to my 5 iron which I stop within a meter. 
 

First thing I’d say is lose the stiff shafts. If you’re getting older like me (49) your club head speeds are only going to get worse and you can get high launch in regular.
 

The Gen 3 (from what I understand) are also tour clubs and whilst you may be a low handicap, I suspect they would work better with high swing speeds that generate more clubhead, and hence more spin. 
 

what balls are you using?

Edited January 14, 2023 by TheOverratedPhotog

[2Down]

Get some Kirkland balls.  They spin a ton will stop on a table top.  

 

Your wedges will back up more often than not. So be ready for that.  

[bnperrone]

My swing speed is higher, but I’ve moved away from a 4-iron. What I did was had a hybrid built up with the same loft, shaft, playing length, total weigh, lie angle, and swingweight as the 4-iron. So, not a 4-hybrid but a hybrid head set up as a direct 4-iron replacement. 
 

Since you like PXG irons, that brand would work quite well for this. All the weight adjustability and loft and lie adjustments should allow you to do this pretty easily. In my case it’s a Titleist 818h2 23* turned down to 22* and flat in C2 position and I think the +4g weight. Since the iron shaft brings the swingweight and total weight up a bit from the stock configuration, there isn’t as much headweight adjustment as you might expect. Back to back I’ve seen virtually the same carry distance but with higher ballflight and softer landing. I no longer own a 4-iron for that reason. 
 

Beyond that I expect a 9 and/or 7-wood is in your future, but if you want to keep something a bit more similar to your set in the 5 (and maybe the 6-iron) position this would be something to consider. 

[ShortGolfer]

My  28* 7 iron is the lowest iron I used for high flight approach shots.  My 25* 11W hits and stops on a green.

[KnoxvilleReb]

2 hours ago, TheOverratedPhotog said:

My club head speed is a little higher, but only marginally so at 75MPH on a 7 iron. I can stop everything up to my 5 iron which I stop within a meter. 
 

First thing I’d say is lose the stiff shafts. If you’re getting older like me (49) your club head speeds are only going to get worse and you can get high launch in regular.
 

The Gen 3 (from what I understand) are also tour clubs and whilst you may be a low handicap, I suspect they would work better with high swing speeds that generate more clubhead, and hence more spin. 
 

what balls are you using?

I did not realize regular shafts would launch higher than stiff shafts. Do you know what a typical increase in launch would look like going from stiff to regular? 
 

The Gen 3 irons come in three different shapes - I don’t play the tour ones. And I typically play a Vice Pro which is marketed as high spin. 

[Jmccas]

8 minutes ago, KnoxvilleReb said:

I did not realize regular shafts would launch higher than stiff shafts. Do you know what a typical increase in launch would look like going from stiff to regular? 
 

The Gen 3 irons come in three different shapes - I don’t play the tour ones. And I typically play a Vice Pro which is marketed as high spin. 

They can launch higher depending on the shaft.  The higher launching regular flex shafts tend to be lighter weight (~95grams) but there are some heavier options that launch well. You just have to test out a bunch of shafts because there isn’t an industry standard for launch and spin. What one manufacturer calls high launch in their lineup maybe mid launch compared to another manufacturer’s lineup. 
 

I’m right on the cusp of being able to play a stiff shaft but I like the higher launch regular flex shafts provide. So I play a regular flex and try and go heavier to give me control. I just got fit for the Project X LZ 5.5 (115grams) and they seem to launch well and give me the stability and control that need. I also tried it in the 6.0 flex and it is a really smooth shaft that provides great flight characteristics. I don’t like speaking highly of Project X shafts because I typically hate them but the LZ is a winner for me. 

[jarediogolf]

Hybrids are NOT a guarantee, some are higher launching and spinnier than others. But you may find many do not have significantly better stopping power than irons. 
 

Some old school hybrids did really launch quite high and stop really fast though. Don’t be afraid to try some of the old stuff. Especially if you are not chasing distance but looking for a true iron replacement. 
 

High lofted fairway woods can potentially one hop and stop in that 170-200 range. It’s pretty safe to say these WILL launch higher and spin more. 
 

So far my woods stop better than the 24* hybrid I’m testing even with lower lofts. Even though I am playing an x-stiff hybrid shaft in the heads (for control). They are shallow and the CG just gets the ball up in the air and spins it. 

[KnoxvilleReb]

6 minutes ago, jarediogolf said:

Hybrids are NOT a guarantee, some are higher launching and spinnier than others. But you may find many do not have significantly better stopping power than irons. 
 

Some old school hybrids did really launch quite high and stop really fast though. Don’t be afraid to try some of the old stuff. Especially if you are not chasing distance but looking for a true iron replacement. 
 

High lofted fairway woods can potentially one hop and stop in that 170-200 range. It’s pretty safe to say these WILL launch higher and spin more. 
 

So far my woods stop better than the 24* hybrid I’m testing even with lower lofts. Even though I am playing an x-stiff hybrid shaft in the heads (for control). They are shallow and the CG just gets the ball up in the air and spins it. 

Yeah I have turned my 4 hybrid up to a 23.5 loft, and don’t have much success launching it high. I decided this year, given the lack of practical use of the longer clubs and not facing a ton of 190+ approach shots at my home course, that I would take one of the 3H or 4H out of the bag and replace it with an extra wedge to really tighten the gaps in that part of the game. So now essentially I’m looking at replacing my 3H, 4H, and potentially 5 iron with two new clubs. From the advice in this thread, my interest is peaked at trying something like an 11 wood and 7 wood combo. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by KnoxvilleReb

[Cwing]

Sounds like distance irons aren’t really working for you. You may want to consider some older irons without those distance lofts.

[ShortGolfer]

I bought a 2015 GBB 7W because it has a Callaway driver shaft adapter, allowing me to test my driver shafts as well as shafts tipped for a heavier head.

My fitter was surprised at how well I hit the 3HL off the deck.  I can also hit long irons but I'm always doing that for distance, not as approach shots.

Edited January 14, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[tleader]

Same speed range as you. Play Modus 105 Regular. 
6 iron off the tee will hold a green, otherwise, I choke down on a 24 degree hybrid.  
Debating my 21 degree hybrid vs 7 wood, otherwise, I’m laying up!

[Cwing]

Not trying to thread jack but……. How do you guys handle low runners, shots under trees, etc… without a 5I or lower in the bag?

[hammergolf]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:29 AM, KnoxvilleReb said:

So, some quick backstory/context here: I play to anywhere between a 6-10 handicap and swing a 7 iron anywhere from 76-83mph depending on the day. I play PXG Gen 3 P irons, which while they aren't blades, generally do pretty well in spin comparisons to other "players distance" clubs and aren't all THAT loft jacked (31 degree 7 iron). I play True Temper Elevate 95 stiff steel shafts, which market themselves as high launch and high spin. I hit down on the ball at roughly a 3-4 degree AoA and generally produce a launch angle with what you'd expect from that combination of clubhead speed and AoA. I say all this only to imply that while i'm far from a tour pro, I can't be the only person that fits into this demographic and has this problem. My problem is... I can't get my 5 iron to fly high enough or spin enough to hold a green. Let alone a 3H or 4H. If we're calling a spade a spade, my 6 iron is liable to roll off the back of the green too.

 

I'd love to hear from other golfers that fit into this category about what they are doing in that portion of their bag to help hold greens. Right now my thought is to try to find a really high-launching game improvement 5 iron and swap the hybrids for a high launching 7 wood (the new Taylormade Stealth 2 HD seems really promising and i've heard great things about the TSR2). Has anyone found a magic combo?

Try higher lofted woods. 7,9, and 11 woods are like cheating.

[hammergolf]

19 minutes ago, Cwing said:

Not trying to thread jack but……. How do you guys handle low runners, shots under trees, etc… without a 5I or lower in the bag?

Hood a 6 iron….